Oct. 6, 2016
AUBURN, Ala. -- The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team continues its road swing, traveling to the state of Delaware for a pair of meets this weekend. The Tigers take on Fresno State in a neutral site meeting Friday, Oct. 7, at 9 a.m. CT before facing host Delaware State Saturday, Oct. 8, at 11 a.m. CT. Both meets will be held at the Dovington Training Center in Felton, Del.
"Practice has been really good for us this week and we're feeling good going on the road again after last week's road results," head coach Greg Williams said. "This is an exciting trip because we're competing on horses we see every few years. We have to stay solid like we have been in practice and our first couple meets and we'll just take the results as they come."
Auburn enters the weekend following a 14-6 win over UT Martin last week, Sept. 29. A trio of Tigers earned Most Outstanding Player nods on the day. Freshman Becky Kozma and sophomore Megan Rauh each were awarded the first MOP honor of their careers, coming in Equitation Over Fences and Horsemanship, respectively. Senior Tory Hoft was honored for her performance in Equitation on the Flat.
AUBURN LINEUP
Both competition days will have four riders going for a team score in each event with one alternate.
Sophomore Lauren Diaz, junior Kelsey Jung and senior Hannah Stephens will represent Auburn both days in Horsemanship. Sophomore Megan Rauh will compete Friday vs. Fresno State and freshman Kara Kaufmann will go against Delaware State Saturday.
Auburn's line up for Equitation Over Fences will remain the same both days as sophomores Ashton Alexander, Caitlin Boyle and Hayley Iannotti and senior Ashley Foster will compete for the Tigers.
Sophomores Ali Fratessa and Blair McFarlin with junior Alexa Rivard are set to ride vs. both opponents in Reining. Sophomore Betsy Brown will go up against Fresno State, while Diaz will ride vs. the Hornets.
The Equitation on the Flat crew will switch things up over the weekend. Foster and classmate Tory Hoft will compete against both teams in the event with Boyle and sophomore Alex Ladove joining them against the Bulldogs Friday. Junior Caitlin Creel and Alexander will ride in Flat Saturday.
FRESNO STATE SERIES HISTORY
Friday's meet will be the 10th time Auburn and Fresno State have faced each other in a dual format. The Tigers lead the Bulldogs with a 7-2 mark.
The two teams last met in Nov. 22, 2014, in Fresno, Calif., and the Bulldogs came away with a slight 9-8 victory over Auburn. The Tigers swept all four MOP honors in the loss as Tory Hoft (Flat), Ashley Foster (Fences), Griffin Knight (Horsemanship), and Alexa Rivard (Reining) were recognized for their efforts.
DELAWARE STATE SERIES HISTORY
Auburn stands at a perfect 8-0 against the Hornets in the series history that dates back to the 2006-07 season. The Tigers are 2-0 in meets competed in Delaware.
It's been a couple years since the teams have last met. Auburn traveled to DSU for a meet, Jan. 31, 2014, and came away with an 11-8 victory. The Hunt Seat crew went 7-3 over the Hornets, including a 4-1 mark in Equitation Over Fences. Lucy Igoe picked up Auburn's lone MOP honor of the day with 71.5 points in her Horsemanship win.
FIFTEENTH SEASON OF VARSITY EQUESTRIAN
The 2016-17 season marks the 15th year of varsity equestrian at Auburn. Head coach Greg Williams has guided the Tigers since the program was recognized by the Athletics Department and has amassed an impressive 119-48 overall record.
In 14 years, Auburn has earned four NCEA Championships (2006, 2011, 2013, 2016), one Southeastern Conference title (2016), three Southern Equestrian Conference crowns (2004, 2010, 2011) and three NCEA Hunt Seat championships (2008, 2011, 2013).
Individually, Auburn boasts 41 All-Americans and 34 All-SEC selections. The Southeastern Conference first began sponsoring equestrian in 2012-13.
WE'RE NO. 1
The Tigers enter this week's competition still in the top spot, the organization announced Thursday.
The Tigers hold the top spot, while SEC rival Georgia stands at No. 2. Texas A&M, TCU, and Baylor are ranked third through fifth, while SMU, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Fresno State and New Mexico State round out the Top 10.
Auburn has held the No. 1 ranking since the November 17, 2015, rankings came out.
UP NEXT
Auburn returns to the AU Horse Center for a big SEC match up with nationally-ranked Texas A&M. The Tigers and the Aggies will face off Saturday, Oct. 15, at 10 a.m. CT.
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